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June 21, 2018

The Power of Mini Offices in Your Classroom

The Power of Mini Offices in Your Classroom

Do you have students that are constantly looking at each other students' papers? While I have had a few of these, I found that I have many students that are more interested in wanting their own privacy (space). I looked into buying boards for this purpose but they were EXPENSIVE, so I made my own.

Disclaimer: There are some affiliate links in this post. Clicking on them will cost you nothing but may earn me a small fee.

What are mini offices?


These are little partitions that offer students privacy when working. You can spend a small fortune buying pre-made ones or spend a little time making your own at a fraction of the cost!



These boards look nice but are WAY out of my price range!


Where to find the materials?


Project Boards - I got mine from Dollar Tree. Each board can make two mini offices. Not too bad of a deal!


Duct Tape - Note: I only like actual Duck Tape brand duct tape because I found it sticks better than generic brands. Below is an Amazon link to the kind of tape that I like.




How do I make these?


1. Cut the boards in half with an X-acto knife or a saw. I was lucky enough to have a handy dad that did this for me. 

2. Cover the edges with duct tape. This is an important step not to miss! The edges of the boards can be a little sharp (even the edges not cut). Adding the Duct Tape keeps little hands safe and adds some fun color to the boards! 
     
      * FYI - I found one roll of duct tape covers about 3 boards.

Some Notes to Consider


These boards can be a pain to store if you have a class set. I found a simple laundry basket is the perfect size to do this. My laundry basket came from Walmart. 

By making mini offices, you can also make handy resources for students to access. For example, you can create a math office on one board with a hundreds chart, number line, multiplication chart, vocabulary words, etc. By making them into an office, you can fold them up and move them where they are needed plus students can access them in various areas of the classroom.

The Power of Mini Offices in Your Classroom

What are some alternative ideas?


A cheaper version of this is taking two file folders and taping/stapling together. These are flimsy and fall apart easily. However, a huge plus with them is that your students can decorate their own and keep them in their desks. I used this method for years but got sick of making them, having them fall over, and the way they just looked ratty in a short period of time.

Want to check out more classroom tips and tricks? Check out these posts.

Organize bulletin board letters and see the benefits of glue sponges by clicking the pictures below.

     


While some students thrive on collaboration and group work, others need their own private work space. Creating mini office spaces provide these students a way to meet this need. This blog post shares a money saving tip to create a class set of mini offices as well as providing alternative ideas that you can make and use today. #confessionsofafrazzledteacher #teachers {Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders}

2 comments:

  1. Great idea. Thank you for the step by step tutorial. I also love the letter storage idea.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I love making things for my classroom that will save me a fortune later on!

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